State Requiring Monrovia to Spend $231.1 Million Or Face Fines of $10,000 Per Day

City Manager Oliver Chi reports ( http://goo.gl/KVEBSL ) that Monrovia's bill to comply with a state environmental project, the Enhanced Watershed Management Program (EWMP), will actually be $231.1 million, more than the $214.15 million indicated in his last report, and, according to the state's schedule, the first project needs to be finished by 2020 and all the projects need to be finished by 2028.

Let's see now, if we divide the $231 million by the 13 years between now and 2028, we get $17.76 million per year. Monrovia's current annual budget is about $33 million ( http://goo.gl/QhoXAI ), so that means that if the city does not cut, it would have to raise more than half again as much money per year and the annual budget would have to go to about $50.77 million a year.

Chi writes: "Given this overall scenario, it is unrealistic to expect that our EWMP group will be able to comply with the implementation schedule that the State Water Resources Control Board (Water Board) is requesting. We have been doing everything possible within the constraints of financial reality to meet the expectations of the Water Board, however, we have been told that should we be unable to meet the timelines, the Water Board will likely issue us a Notice of Violation (NOV) with fines of up to $10,000 / day for being in noncompliance."

The $231 million is Monrovia's share of the entire Rio Hondo/San Gabriel River Watershed Management Group. Are Arcadia, Azusa, Bradbury, and Duarte all going to have the same problem paying this off, or is Monrovia alone in this inability?

And, like the plastic bag ban pushed by environmental ideologues, is this a sane action? Is there some real science under this brilliant initiative or are we again being screwed over by Bill Nye wannabes?

The city hasn't the money to pay for this. I understand it has less cash than liabilities, and covering those liabilities is not what the net cash flow of the city has. Look at the city's financials. Cash flow from taxation and other sources (let's overlook the role of traffic tickets as revenue enhancement for the City Council).

It's fine that many cities have the same "problem". So what?

Maybe this is a problem that has no basis in fact.

What about that idea? That Rachel Carson level analysis defined this great plan?

For those of the religion, I reckon it is. And bring back DDT to kill mosquitoes...nah.

The people dying and the children affected, they are not Democrat voters and I don't see them at Fresh Foods or my clubs. Why would I be concerned?